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Fight for Fort Polk continues in Central Louisiana

Jeff Matthews
Published 11:25 p.m. CT Aug. 27, 2014

Two realignment scenarios contained in an Army report could have profoundly different effects on Fort Polk and its Joint Readiness Training Center in Vernon Parish. One would cut staffing there nearly in half; the other would increase it by a little less than 10 percent.
(Photo:
LAGNS
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Central Louisiana residents did their part once again to support Fort Polk.

Now the fight to spare the Vernon Parish Army base from major cutbacks moves to another battlefield.

The public comment period on a report detailing proposed cuts at several installations is over. Though the official totals of comments made in support of each base won’t be released until next month, the number of comments for Fort Polk will easily surpass the impressive number made during a similar process last year.

About 7,500 online comments were submitted in support of Fort Polk. Paper letters can’t be tracked as easily, but campaigns from groups such as the Central Louisiana Chamber of Commerce alone collected several thousand.

During the 2013 force reduction process, 4,300 comments were made in support of Fort Polk, far more than any other threatened base. The fort escaped significant cuts then.

“We’re really excited to get the news,” said Michael Reese, chairman of Fort Polk Progress, a nonprofit dedicated to supporting and advocating for the base. “Even if we’re not at the top — and we very well could be — we quadrupled or more our response from last year. That’s a testament to a true regional response.”

The “Supplemental Programmatic Environmental Assessment for Army 2020 Force Structure Realignment” details alternatives to reduce the Army’s strength by as many as 70,000 personnel. A total of 30 installations were listed with potential troop reductions.

Fort Polk’s maximum troop reduction listed in the report is 6,500, out of a current military population of 10,836.

According to an economic impact report commissioned by Fort Polk Progress, such a reduction would cost the surrounding five-parish region (Rapides, Vernon, Beauregard, Natchitoches and Sabine) $713 million in sales, $468 million in income, $25 million in state and local taxes and more than 9,000 total jobs.

As they did last year, stakeholders tried to rally public support for Fort Polk.

Now that’s done, the next phase is for the Army to conduct a military value analysis of each base. Reese said stakeholders will test the data the Army uses to make sure it represents an accurate picture of the value Fort Polk provides in areas such as training space, facilities investment and quality of life.

“The categories the Army puts the most weight in are where we continue to excel,” Reese said.